Johnny Hodges

AKA:

Rabbit

Birth Name:

John Cornelius Hodges

Birth Date:

July 25, 1907

Birth Place:

137 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Death Date:

May 11, 1970

Place of Death:

Harlem Hospital, New York, New York

Age:

Cause of Death:

Heart attack

Cemetery Name:

Flushing Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Music

Johnny Hodges was one of the most influential alto saxophonists in jazz history and is best known for his long association with Duke Ellington. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1907 and raised in nearby Boston, Hodges began as a pianist and drummer before focusing on saxophone. By the late 1920s he had joined Ellington’s orchestra, where his rich tone, lyrical phrasing, and expressive vibrato quickly made him one of the band’s standout soloists. For nearly four decades—mainly from 1928 until his death in 1970—Hodges helped define the Ellington sound, delivering memorable performances on compositions such as Passion Flower, Isfahan, and Prelude to a Kiss. During the early 1950s Hodges briefly left Ellington to lead his own small groups, recording popular rhythm-and-blues–inflected instrumentals and albums for labels like Verve Records. Despite this successful period as a bandleader, he rejoined the Ellington Orchestra in 1955 and remained a central figure in the ensemble’s recordings and international tours. Renowned for his smooth, blues-tinged style and elegant ballad playing, Hodges influenced generations of saxophonists and remains a defining voice of swing-era jazz.

In The End …

After multiple heart issues that occured during his last two years, on May 11, 1970 Johnny Hodges’ luck luck ran out. At the end of a long stretch of touring, both domestic and international, his strength may have been at an ebb. He was in his dentist’s office in Manhattan, got up from the chair to go to the bathroom partway through a procedure, took a few steps—and collapsed. He did not recover, and was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital at 4:30 p.m. that day. “I sent him to the dentist,” his widow said, “and the Lord brought him back.”

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Flushing Cemetery

163-6 46th Avenue

Flushing, Queens, New York, 11358

USA

North America

Map:

Flushing Cemetery in Queens, New York

Grave Location:

Section 11, Subsection D, Grave 519

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery through the main entrance, drive past Louis Armstrong black monument to the back gate. Section 11 is divided into 4 subsections: A, B, C and D. Jazz master Johnny Hodges can be found on the road with the memorial and bench clearly visible (519-D is on the front of the Hodges memorial).

Grave Location GPS

40.75224190257593, -73.79541827513071

Photos:

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FAQ's

Johnny Hodges was born on July 25, 1907.

Johnny Hodges was born in 137 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Johnny Hodges died on May 11, 1970.

Johnny Hodges died in Harlem Hospital, New York, New York.

Johnny Hodges was 62.

The cause of death was Heart attack.

Johnny Hodges's grave is in Flushing Cemetery

Videos Featuring Johnny Hodges:

Duke Ellington featuring Johnny Hodges: All of Me

Johnny Hodges | Passion Flower w/ Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington - ISFAHAN - played by Johnny Hodges

Johnny Hodges - short documentary

Johnny Hodges - Sunny Side of the Street

Watch YouTube video titled Johnny Hodges Interview 1955

Johnny Hodges